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21 December 2012

The Apocalypse is here... Analyzing the FIRE archetypes #1

In the first months of 2013, we’ll be flooded with a new structure deck with FIRE monsters and a booster set filled with FIRE monsters. A total of 3 new archetypes will spawn with those releases.

Upon request, I've analyzed the three archetypes and I’ll give you my results in the upcoming posts.

Analyzing the FIRE Archetypes #1: Splashable cards

No matter how good or bad an archetype is, almost each archetype has one or more cards that can be splashed into other decks. Hieratics have Tefnuit and Atum, Blackwings have Gale and Zephyros, Inzektors have Exa-Beetle, Madolche's have Magileine, etc…

So the question for today is: "What cards of the new archetypes can be splashed in other decks?"

Haze Beasts

Haze Beasts are the secondary FIRE archetype from Cosmo Blazer. And though the support for the theme is not that great compared to the other new archetypes, they do have one of the most remarkable xyz cards attached to their name: Haze Beast Basilicock

Basilicock is a Rank 6 XYZ that requires FIRE monsters, but is the first one that can use 2-5 monsters. Its effect gets stronger, the more XYZ materials you put underneath it.

Not mentioning the boosted powers (which are harder to achieve), the basic effect is already amazing. "Once per turn: you can detach 1 XYZ material to target 1 of your opponent’s monsters (either his field or in his grave). Banish it."

No further restrictions; no limits; it can even attack afterwards or before! It’s like Black Luster Soldier being reborn into a flaming bird. If the summoning conditions of this card weren't so limited, this card would be dead broken and banned asap.

Can you splash it in other decks than Haze Beasts? Yes, you can. Volcanics can use Volcanic Queen, Jurracs can use Jurrac Herra, Hieratics can use Tyhone #2 (or DNA transplant), Monarchs can use Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch (or DNA transplant), Lavals can use Laval Lancelord, etc.

So, by tweaking your deck a little, you might find a spot for Basilicock.

Brotherhood of the Fire Fist

Fire Formation – Tenki: Even if you don’t like the Fire Fist archetype, you DO want this card.

What it does? Simple. Upon activation, it searches a level 4 or lower Beast-Warrior (ANY Beast-Warrior).

Next to that, after the search, it remains on the field, boosting all your Beast-Warriors with 100 attack, which can make a difference if there’s a 1900-beatstick slugfest on the field.

Notable cards to search are: Gladiator Beast Laquari or Darius (not Andal, but he should remain in the deck for Rescue Rabbit), T.G. Warwolf, (X)X-Saber Boggart Knight or Ragirura, Wind-up Hunter or Rabbit, Koa’Ki Meiru Urnight or Crusader, or Fire King Beast Yaksha or Barong.

The other spell and trap cards are less splashable, since they’re the most effective in pure Beast-Warrior decks and how many pure Beast-Warrior archetypes are there nowadays? Two, to be exactly. Fire Fists and Phantom Beasts.

Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Tiger King: If you are going to splash Tenki in your deck, you might want to consider this XYZ as well. Tiger King requires 2 Lv. 4 Beast-Warriors, searches out a Fire Formation card (Tenki) and sets it on the field. And next to that, it’s also able to negate all other monster effects on the field.

Next to the Fire Fist decks, this XYZ can prove its use in Phantom Beasts, Gladiator Beast, Fire King and even Koa’Ki Meiru decks.

Fire Kings

The third archetype in this series of articles is Fire Kings. These cards are not part of Cosmo Blazer (unless Konami puts Yaksha in the set or makes a TCG world premiere card). But we’ll have them when the structure deck “Onslaught of the Fire Kings” reaches our shores in February.

And, even if these new monsters don’t strike your fancy, you should not neglect the included spell cards.

Assault of the Fire Kings: When you don’t control a monster, you can special summon a FIRE Beast, Winged Beast or Beast-Warrior from your deck, but it’s destroyed at the end phase and its effect is negated.

This fits in each of the new FIRE archetypes introduced, since they’re either Beast, Beast-Warrior or Winged Beast. But it also supports Flamvells (Poun, Firedog) or even Gladiator Beasts (Laquari) or Ninja's (Red Dragon Ninja).

Fire King Fire Cycle: Even more splashable than the previous card is the quick-play card Fire King Fire Cycle. It destroys one fire monster you control to special summon another fire monster from your grave.

This is a great card to chain if your monster is being targeted for a card effect or if you want to exchange a low-attack monster for a boss monster.

And if you ask in which decks you can use this, you're being silly...

In ANY FIRE deck, duh.

Afterword

There’s no use talking about the Enthusiastic archetype, since there’s only a slim chance we’ll see them in this set (see previous post) and there’s only 3 of them (2 monsters, 1 XYZ).

@Darkrailroad: At first I thought Constellar players wouldn't use it, because it's only Kaust, but then I saw a few OCG tourney decks and I realized I was wrong on that one.@Mike: True, but it probably won't be in Cosmo Blazar :-/